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news
Commuters (CC licensed image by kube414:Flickr)White heterosexual men lead the cycling industry, report says amid calls for more inclusive approach
The Bicycle Association has published the insights of its research into diversity in the cycling industry, releasing a report which says the senior leaders are "overwhelmingly white, heterosexual men", as well as noting "widespread experience of unfair treatment, including harassment".
The industry body's work follows its Diversity Report, published in March, and has been released in collaboration with Cycle Industries Europe's Women in Cycling programme and is supported by WORK180.
Commenting on the report, the Bicycle Association says it sheds light for the first time on critical insights and perspectives surrounding diversity and inclusivity within the cycling industry. It has been put together by surveying 1,123 people from a variety of backgrounds who work across the industry in companies and sectors of varying sizes.
Of the key findings, the report suggests that the industry is overwhelmingly led by straight white men, and that there is "widespread experience" of unfair treatment, including harassment.
Nearly half of those with disabilities hide them from their employer, while "women and those from minority groups are more likely to leave the industry". The report also highlights how women want "concrete action" on leadership and pay.
On motivations to pursue working within the cycling industry, 63 per cent of men said they were inspired by a passion for cycling, while 45 per cent of women said the same.
In March, the Bicycle Association said the "male, white, cycling enthusiast niche has reached its natural limit" and urged the bike industry to change if it wants to grow and reach new customers.
The body notes that respondents overwhelmingly expressed a desire for greater inclusivity and representation, and called on employers to sign the BA's 'Diversity Pledge' to prioritise seven "key actions to begin to address the findings".
Lead an inclusive, anti-discriminatory culture
Implement bullying and harassment policy and communicate to all employees
Diversify leadership teams
Make pay equitable
Introduce flexible working and paid leave entitlements
Offer mentoring and career development to all
Give more visibility to women and marginalised groups
Sally Middlemiss of the Bicycle Association said the report "marks a significant step towards understanding the complex dynamics of inclusivity within all levels of the cycling industry".
"We are dedicated to driving positive change by promoting dialogue, actionable recommendations, and an environment where every individual feels welcome and empowered to achieve their career goals," she said.
Ian Beasant, managing director of Giant UK, added: "The core purpose of this BA perception survey was to understand the barriers and challenges people face in their company. The acknowledgement and commitment to supporting all equally is our industry's duty. We must create the most welcoming, inclusive and prosperous environment for all, fostering innovation, representation, and growth."
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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98 comments
Your English is getting better.
A fast learner! Even a child knows this...
Seems a lot of people here are angry at the very fact the inequality is being pointed out, I wonder why?
I suppose because most people (and in this case, I think it's white, straight men) don't like being told they are doing things wrong, not least because most of us aren't consciously doing it (I doubt most people think it's OK to discriminate overtly these days).
I don't think it's helpful to anger too many people (aka voters), though, even if they are in the wrong. What matters is what makes things better - but much discourse seems to be about condemning 'sinners', rather than positively encouraging better behaviour.
The report seems to have willfully excluded the evil ginger fat b@%tard community and their under representation in cycling ... just saying
Putting aside the corporate people talking about corporate people, why are the majority of cyclists men, given that doesn't represent the population as a whole?
Could it be that woman don't accept that road danger is a reasonable risk to exercise the general right to use the public highways?
To achieve equally of opportunity the attitude of road users must change so that rather than the unacceptable Department of Transport Killed or Seriously Injured metric we ask appropriate questions about road use. Not just the outcome of road traffic incidents..
Once equality of opportunity has been realised and equality of use delivered there's every chance that all roles within cycling will be open to women as they should be.
(I apologise if you are female yourself but playing the odds) ... what about asking some women?
I believe there are at least two women who post on road.cc semi-regularly.
Or, y'know, just nip 100 miles across the North Sea and stand outside a school or anywhere in town and do a quick survey - because in NL although everyone cycles apparently women ride slightly more than men. And while "danger" is an issue it may only be one facet of the reasons. Although again if you make cycling convenient people's behaviour and outlook can change again.
So could it be "but women are risk averse" becomes one of those tropes that people seize on like "helmet hair" - or even "bike face" from bygone times?
Anyway - note that while you're doing that survey those answers won't be the whole story*. Because people happily go about their lives without needing to examine the "why" deeply. And especially not to compare themselves to some hypothetical people living elsewhere that they probably don't know much about.
* Ask people in the UK why they're driving and they'll probably say "to do the shopping, then collect the kids" or "to get to work". If you press them on why they chose to drive that trip, or chose to live so far from amenities or a bus stop they'll probably look at you oddly. Doesn't everyone have a car and if they have it they drive it, right?
Interesting observation. Why so few (assuming you are approx-correct)? It's possible that there are also very few non-white posters.
I suppose the simple answer is that the proportions online simply reflect those in the "real world", which is shaped by discrimination.
But it still makes me wonder; why online - where so many of the mechanisms of discrimination are absent - is there not a better balance? You don't have to brave a world of discrimination to participate here - you just need to want to participate.
(I only counted those who've I recalled had said they're female). Like the Life of Brian beard gag it could be entirely women (of colour, queer, BAME etc.) posting here - but not wanting to draw attention.
Why would that be? I agree that in theory the internet should mean "you don't have to brave a world of discrimination to participate". I'm sure in parts it is. However there seems to be general agreement that the anonymity and distancing effects of the online world also permit it to be a swamp of misunderstanding, patronising attitudes and frank abuse. All the misogyny of "real life" writ large with additional lack of restraint.
Or in short - in most societies men are priveledged and pushy outside the internet. Why's it gonna be different inside?
There's a whole bunch of other interesting debateables like "to what extent does the design of a "tool" end up reflecting cultural biases of the designers (apparently unrelated to the technological questions)" but this is already over long.
Mostly because of comment sections like this one, in my case.
So what do you propose?
For what? Getting more women into cycling or making the comments section of this website less favourable to men talking sh!te about how "girls" are just biologically indisposed towards cycling? I'm doing fine on the former in more women-friendly forums. Can't help at all with the latter. As long as this forum tolerates misogynistic nonsense, purveyors of same will contine to post here and attract others of their ilk.
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We'd best CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL then, just to be on the safe side! Neh?
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Gosh Flintshire (I've removed bollards), it's a fair point, no? And ... could there be another option maybe?
That's the Guardian way.. love a lefty echo chamber.
Try The Byline Times. You'll "love" that albeit in Flintshire infant style.
Ok, I've seen references to "girls" and I understand that grates, but I missed the mentions of them being "biologically indisposed towards cycling". I have seen many suggestions that sex differences in risk aversion in the face of road traffic might explain the imbalance between the sexes in cycling, so I googled "sex differences in risk aversion", and the results seemed to agree that women are more risk averse.
Putting the context aside, my point is that Department of Transport Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) metric is very wrong.
We must ask appropriate questions about road use. Not just the outcome of road traffic incidents.
Everyone has the right to travel safely.
Measuring the wrong data is how to get the wrong result.
#VisionZero
Preaching to the choir - apart from we don't want to lose all sight of the KSIs, because they're so salient. (At least to those directly concerned - unfortunately the rest of us will quite happily forget others' miseries if they're sufficiently infrequent.)
But yes - there's so much more to gain than just "safer roads". IF we can remove some of the barriers AND make it so driving's not the default.
Independent mobility for those who can't / don't drive. Levelling some structural inequities a little bit (which is where this thread all started IIRC) e.g. like this, or this. Supporting local social connections. Getting a modicum of exercise (all good for mental health also) "for free". Much nicer places to live in and move around in.
I'm still not quite clear on what the various competing versions of #VisionZero (and similar) actually entail so I'm sticking with "let's have something as close to 'Sustainable Safety' [1] [2] as we can".
Also #VisionZero suggests to me campaigning against something negative as opposed to campaigning for something positive. Maybe just me though.
Does it really matter what colour or sexual preferences the industry workers are? It is my thoughts that the best person for the job is 'the best person', regardless whether they are white, black, yellow, green and whether they like men, women, whatever. It really doesn't matter, highlighting these issues is just making a point that non whites or gays are different, rather than being treated equally.
No, it doesn't matter - so long as everyone has a genuinely fair chance. And that's the issue. Conscious discrimination and prejudice are much less overt than in the past but what you are (sex, race, etc.) and where you come from still has a major influence on your prospects in all sorts of areas.
Biases nowadays tend to be more unconscious, which makes them harder to challenge. And sometimes we're limited by our own biases, and those of friends and family. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do better.
I tried to get a job at a Chinese restaurant, but I wasn't hired because I was not Chinese.. horrendous discrimination, don't you agree?
Yes.
Why look at this dual carriageway, only motor vehicles using it - clearly no interest from cyclists there.
Yes it does matter. Few would argue that we want more of the police in the Met to be black, and more to be women. And in this case we want more women in positions of power in cycling organisations to provide a different perspective, and encourage more diversity amongst cyclists.
Nobody is suggesting that white heterosexual men, including me, shouldn't cycle though.
Ooooh! I yam so looking forward to the probable many patriarchy rants here in response to a report of their excluding of the female (and other!) gender from what they feel is rightfully ( and tightfully) a man's domain. I see we already have one or two stirrings.
I think that might be mainly in your head but I also get the impression that you might be quite good at extrapolating peoples positions from a very vague and narrow viewpoint.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, in a world where the white man has run it for a long time, most of the senior positions are occupied by people in that image. Over time this will change but I'm not quite sure how we can expect it to change in just a few years without happily discriminating against anyone who fits that description. Something which we are seemingly happy to do in plenty of areas but which is fundamentally illegal.
People should not be descriminated against or discouraged from any job or career path and that goes for every race, sex and gender...
I have some AI that detects the patriarchy-in-posts. Its infallible, obviously.
Yes, in order to not discriminate agin' the pink menfolk with all the power and big salaries by denying them this privilege-cum-right and letting "others" have similar positions, we should keep on keepin' the non-pink/non-male sort down. Irrefutable logic, that, often used by Dr Pangloss and also Pollyanna (both great philosophers) to prove that we live in the best of all possible worlds and everything is nice.
Still in "a few" years it will change, you say, despite the poor pink males with the best jobs having to be made pariahs or even just 3 slides down the greasy poles. Or are we just waiting for their dead men shoes? I've a funny feeling that another pink bloke will be pushing those "others" aside to fill such shoes.
Just so .... and yet they are, still. Mind, it's entirely possible that another culturally classified group will become high fashion, not only getting a chance to be top of those slippery poles but the means also to establish their own group-dominance. After all, humans will be humans. No CEO job for you, you, you ... pink man!
Who feels they'll be able to live in a matriarchy, should the Andrew Tate mission fail utterly and all the blokes have to push the hoovers and make the dinners whilst changing the bairn's nappy? I can, I can! Did it for years and still do (not the nappies now, though). I quite like a bossy lady, me.
I keep getting the 'in favour of the principle of equality' scene from Yes Minister stuck in my head while reading this comment section..
So you are the product of a bossy lady.. figures.
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